Thursday, August 30, 2007

CHERRY TOMATO & RICOTTA TARTLETS

Whenever I have a pastry leftover, I always make sure that nothing gets thrown away. I recuperate every single piece/bit and re-use it. Mostly, it results in some fine little treats that are very satisfying...Generally, I let my imagination do the work and rely on what my fridge has to offer. A "free jazz" moment in the kitchen...

That very time (a few weeks ago that is), I found a ricotta leftover and a few cherry tomatoes, so I thought that I could prepare four cute savory tartlets. Although they were quite basic and simple, they were nonetheless wonderful as the spirit of summer was contained within each of them!

Cherry Tomato Tartlets:Preheat the oven to 210° C (425° F).Press the shaped dough into the tartlet casings.Prick the bottom of each tartlet.Cover and place in the fridge for about 20 minutes.Top with three "Cherry Tomatoes" (or more).Crumble the ricotta cheese and drop it all over and around the tomatoes.Sprinkle with some olive oil, dried oregano, garlic and onion powder, sea salt and pepper.

Tips:You can replace the ricotta by crumbled cream cheese, feta or "Manouri", chopped mozarella or grated gruyère/cheddar/"Provolone".You can replace the oregano by "Za'atar" or chopped basil.If you want more taste then add anchovies and sprinkle with some "Worcestershire Sauce" or dark balsamic vinegar.